I will be moving from NY State to Everett, WA and arrive in early Sept. I am new to ski mountaineering and ice climbing (only one season of serous endeavors under my belt) but think I have a natural talent for it; and fairly experienced trad rock climber though with not as much natural talent (right now only a 5.8+/5.9- leader) . I was curious what the ski mountaineering season was like (when does it start, how late does it last) and where the ice climbing is at (when does it usually come in, how long does it usually last). I have done my early climbing in NC and then gotten a lot better climbing in the Gunks, ADKs, and NH. I did all my backcountry / ski mountaineering in the ADKs and NH.

Different note, we are looking for a place to live. I am in the Navy and will be stationed at the Everett Naval Base, my wife and I are looking for a house with big yard (for our dog), but would really prefer a house with a barn for our two horses; if anyone has any advice on that, that would be awesome.

I will also be looking for partners to show me and around and would love to find a pretty consistent/reliable partner for rock, ice, and skiing.

Not a bad location for ski mountaineering. Some good resources would be cascadeclimbers.com, as well as posting a note up at the American Alpine Institute in Bellingham. A good handful of their guides live between B'ham and Seattle and are always getting out. Due to conditions, the area is inconsistent for waterfall ice, but there's some good glacial serac climbing on the lower Coleman Glacier on the north side of Baker. Things should be getting exposed here pretty soon, and will be good through the summer, typically.

If you want an outstanding burger, check out the Train Wreck Bar in Arlington(?). Best burgers I ate up there.